The highlight of 1996 for many Bruneians was the celebration of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's fiftieth birthday on 15 July, with elaborate traditional ceremony, Prince Charles of Britain as guest of honour and a concert by the singer Michael Jackson. In a sense, the event symbolized a dominant theme in Brunei affairs — the tension evident between tradition and modernity. As in previous years, Brunei in 1996 maintained a wide range of international contacts, endeavoured to diversify its economy, developed its infrastructure and communications to establish itself as a regional hub, and strove to reconcile these developments with the preservation of domestic stability and Islamic values.

Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs

Brunei's foreign relations followed the pattern of recent years, playing an active role in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region and fostering its links with the Muslim world and with larger powers like the United States and Britain, while reserving to itself a substantial level of independence and freedom of action.

As a small Muslim state, Brunei particularly sympathized with the fate of Bosnia, to whose envoy the Sultan granted an audience in February. During a visit by Pakistan's Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in March, the Sultan stressed their shared Islamic values and their co-operation on international issues where Muslims suffered as in Bosnia. In September, after being briefed on developments in Bosnia by Jon D. Glassman, Deputy for Military Stabilization in the Balkans in the Bureau of European Affairs of the State Department, the Brunei Government expressed its support for American efforts to restore peace and stability there, sentiments which were reiterated by Brunei's Foreign Minister, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, at the United Nations.

Brunei established diplomatic ties with the Kyrgyz Republic with effect from 15 March. Existing close ties with Oman were reaffirmed during high level talks on co-operation in education, religious affairs and trade held in Brunei in March and by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on religious ties in September.